Assistant Commissioner of Police Ellison Greenslade says the criminals who stole almost $100,000 worth of hurricane relief supplies donated by senators will be brought to justice.
Police said over the weekend, thieves (or a thief) broke into a trailer at the Global United Shipping Company and stole supplies consisting of clothes, food items and appliances. The supplies were intended for victims of Hurricane Wilma.
“There is no phantom in Grand Bahama or should I dare say in The Bahamas,” ASP Greenslade said at a press conference at police headquarters on Wednesday.
“Some person committed a crime in our community. The community would tell us, and they have started [to say] precisely who they are. I have that assurance and we will bring that to some resolution. We will solve it if the community wishes us to solve it and that’s as plain as it can be.”
ASP Greenslade said he could not say how many persons were involved in this incident, but believes the criminals would try to sell the goods.
“They are going to try to sell the stuff or to pawn it in some fashion. As soon as it develops to the stage where we can arrest, we’re going to take the appropriate action,” he said.
Senator Caleb Outten told the Bahama Journal on Tuesday that he received a call Sunday morning that the trailer had been vandalized. The thieves had broken the guard light and snapped the locks, he indicated.
“That trailer was jammed packed with boxes,” Senator Outten said. “Approximately half of what was there was stolen, I believe about 150 boxes.”
He said there must have been several persons involved as there was a large hole cut in the fence at the rear of the property several feet away, which the thieves used to escape with the goods.
“These persons did not need to steal at all and it shows that these individuals have no conscience,” Senator Outten said.
On Monday, he said he contacted the leaders of several churches who came to collect the remaining supplies from the trailer for distribution to residents in the hard-hit areas.
The senator said he extended an invitation to Community Holiness Church, St. Stephen Anglican Church, Church of the Good Shepherd, Upper Zion Baptist Church, Grace Church of the Nazarene, Universal Household of Faith, Church of God Hawksbill, St. Vincent de Paul Church and Living Water Assembly of God.
“I invited the churches to come and load their buses because I figure they know the people who need it better than the politicians do and they would not discriminate,” Senator Outten said.
By: Courtnee Romer, The Bahama Journal
